Package



Oct. 18, 1966 w. F. BLANFORD PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1965 FIG 2 FIG.|

INVENTOR WILLIAM E BLANFORD fliwjz, W

ATTORNEYS Oct. 18, 19 66 F. BLANFORD 3,279,595

' PACKAGE Filed Jan. 11, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WILLIAM F. BLANFORD ATTORNEYS 3,279,595 Patented Oct. 18, 1966 United States Patent Office 3,279,595 PACKAGE William F. Blanford, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Aeroplast Corp., Dayton, Ohio Filed Jan. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 424,663 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-631) The present invention relates to an improved package supplying a tubular roll of material in sterile form which allows the sterilized materials therein to be removed therefrom without destroying asepsis. Particularly, the present invention relates to sterile packaging supplying sterile rolls of thin plastic film surgical drape material.

Increased use is being made of plastic surgical drapes which can be adhesively secured to the patient over the area where the incision is to be made. These drapes are desirably supplied to the hospital in separately packaged presterilized rolls of lengths of film found to be desirable in most surgical operations. These rolls are packaged in a plastic tube, but the outside of this tubular package cannot be maintained in sterile condition. In opening the package there is a danger of destroying asepsis in that the sterilized drape may contact a portion of the package wrapper which has become contaminated either prior to or during the package opening process.

The present invention contemplates a new and improved package supplying a tubular roll of material in sterile form which eliminates the danger of accidentally contaminating the material during its removal from the package since the package is so constructed that any contaminated portion of the package is prevented from coming into contact with the roll of sterile material as it is being withdrawn from its package.

The present invention necessarily involves a tubular roll of material having a hollow core. An inner tube encloses at least the upper end of the roll with the upper end of this inner tube being folded down within the upper end of the hollow core of the roll. A second, outer tube encloses at least the upper end of the roll and the inner tube with at least one of the tubes enclosing the complete roll and being sealed to prevent bacterial entrance into the package. Preferably, the inner tube is sealed at its lower end and completely encloses the roll, and the outer tube is sealed at both ends and completely encloses the inner tube. The use of two packaging tubes with the upper end of the inner tube folded down within the hollow core of the roll being packaged, allows the roll of material to be forced from the package while it is protected by the upper end of the inner tube so as to avoid the danger of accidentally destroying asepsis when the package is opened and the roll of sterile material removed therefrom.

The present invention will be discussed in connection with a tubular roll of surgical drape material; the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-section on an enlarged scale of a package supplying a tubular roll of material in sterile form constructed in accordance with the inven tion, the central portion of the structure being cut away for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a picture view which shows the removal of the upper end of the outer tube as a preliminary to opening a package constructed as shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a further picture view showing the package in a completely opened position with the roll of sterile material therein being removed while it is protected by the upper end of the inner tube; and

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show the opening and roll extruding operations in sequence. More particularly, FIG. 4 shows the opening of the package with the upper end of the outer tube being removed;

FIG. 5 shows the-structure in an intermediate position in which the roll is partially extruded; and

FIG. 6 shows the structure in its roll-extruded condition in which the upper end of the roll has been made available to be grasped by a sterile hand to complete the task of aseptic removal. v

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a sheet of surgical drape material in roll form, generally indicated by numeral 10, is placed within an inner plastic packaging tube 11. In the preferred structure shown, the inner tube 11 completely encloses the roll 10 with the upper end 12 of the tube 11 being folded down inside the upper open end of the roll 10, the cylindrical opening defined by the roll being identified by the numeral 20. The other lower end of inner tube 11 is preferably closed as by a heat seal 13. The inner tube 11 in which the roll of surgical drape material 10 is enclosed is placed within an outer plastic tube generally indicated by numeral 14. The outer tube 14 is preferably closed'at the top and bottom as by the use of a heat seal 15 on the upper end thereof to provide a sealed outer package which contains the inner tube enclosing the roll of surgical drape. The outer tube 14 may be provided with means to facilitate the opening of the outer tube This means may desirably take the form of a tear line or groove 16 located near the upper end of tube 14. This groove 16 may be provided by applying a heated knife edge to the plastic. It should he understood that any appropriate means may be used to facilitate opening of the outer package, such as a tear strip, etc. Again, and while it is preferred to employ means to facilitate opening the outer tube, this is not entirely necessary since the outer tube may be cut or torn open in any desired manner. The upper portion of outer tube 14 above the groove 16 is identified by the numeral 17.

The roll of surgical drape material is provided to the hospital in sterilized condition, the drape being conveniently sterilized following its enclosure in the package under consideration. The personnel at the hospital may easily remove the roll of drape material from within its package as will be more fully explained in connection with a discussion of FIGS. 2-6.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, force is applied to the upper portion 17 of the outer tube 14 in a direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. 4 to cause the upper portion 17 to be torn away from the rest of the outer tube 14, along the tear line or groove 16. The upper portion 17 which is torn away is then lifted off the package by a continuing movement in the direction A. The person who is opening the package then encircles the outer tube 14 with the hands at a point below the tear line 16 and grasps the tube to apply a squeezing pressure to the outer tube 14 to force the same into frictional engagement with the inner tube 11.

The zone which is grasped is indicated in FIG. 5 by the numeral 21. The outer tube may be grasped by one or both hands, the use of two hands being shown in FIG. 3.

With the bottom of the package rested against any support, or held by one hand, a downward movement of the grasping hand or hands, as indicated by arrow B, forces the outer tube to move downwardly, and the frictional engagement of the outer tube 14 with inner tube 11 forces the inner tube to also move downwardly, as indicated by arrow C.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, the tubes 11 and 14 wrinkle up beneath the grasping zone 21 and the roll of plastic material 10 is moved upwardly with respect to the inner tube 11, the upper end 12 of the inner tube being forced out of the core 20 of the roll 10. The wrinkled portion is identified by numeral 22. As the tubes 11 and 14 are collapsed, more and more of the drape material becomes exposed. In this way, the turned-in portion 12 of the tube '11 is progressively drawn outof the tube 10 until the end of the tube 10 becomes exposed.

Assuming allouter surfacesof the outer tube 14 to have become contaminated, it will be observed that the inner tube 11 has protected the roll 10 from being contaminated by the the upper portion 17 in FIG. 4 and it has also prevented-any contact between the roll 10 and the outer tube in the vicinityv of the groove 16.

Upon still further downward movement by the grasping hand or hands as shown by arrow D in FIG. 6, the upper end of inner tube 11 continues its downward movement as shown by arrow E to expose the upper end of the roll 10 with the only contact of the roll 10 with any object being with the interior sterile portions of the inner tube 11 and with the upper end of this inner tube which was previously protected from contamination by its position within the core 20.

The final position reached in FIG. 6 corresponds with that shown in FIG. 3 in which it will be seen that the upper end of the roll 10 is available for sterile removal from its package by a sterile hand identified ,by numeral 23.

While the inner and outer tubes have been illustrated as completely enclosing structures, this is not essential as only one of the two tubes need completely enclose the roll. Thus, one might provide a pack-age in accordance with the invention in which the inner tube only partially encloses the roll, .the upper end being folded within the, core 20. As a further alternative, the inner tube may be a complete enclosing tube with the lower portion of the outer tube being sealed to the inner tube so that the upper end of the outer tube still provides the removable top 17 of the outer tube. In either instance, the roll would be supplied by removing the top of the outer roll and extruding the roll from the inner tube precisely as described hereinbefore.

Since it is desirable to provide the hospital with a sealed package with the contentsin sterile condition, the roll of material is factory sterilized. The sterilization is preferably undertaken after sealing of the package by subjecting the package and its contents to a sterilizing gas such as ethylene oxide. Preferably, the packaging material is thin plastic film, such as vinyl polymers, polythe contents of the package to the sterilizing steam prior to final sealing of the outer tube.

While the packaging materials under consideration are preferably formed of plastic sheet material, other materials which aresufliciently impermeable to. air-borne bacteria may also be used, such as paper, and especially resin-impregnated ,paper. If desired, the package may also include a sterilization indicator which will show that sterilization conditions have been met. Conveniently, the indicator is inserted between the inner and'outer tubes during the packaging operation.

While the package of the present invention has been. illustrated as being useful in packaging tubular, hollow core rolls of surgical drape material, the package may also be used as a sterile package for any material'in tubular roll form such as rolls of gauze, band-age, etc.

The invention is defined in the claims which follow:

I claim:

1. A sealed sterilized package supplying a tubular roll of material in sterile form comprising:

(A) a tubular roll of material;

(B) an inner tube enclosing at least the upper end of said roll, the upper end of said tube being folded down within the upper end of said roll; and

(C) an outer tube sealingly enclosing at least the upper end of said inner tube and said roll; at least one of said inner and outer tubes enclosing the lower end of said roll.

2. A package as recited in claim 1 in which the upper end of said outer tube is provided with means to facilitate removal of the top portion thereof.

3. A package as recited in claim 1 in which said inner and outer tubes are formed from heat-scalable, gaspermeable and water and bacteria impermeable plastic sheet material.

4. A package as recited in claim 3 in which saidsheet material is composed of polyethylene.

5. A sealed sterilized package supplying a tubular roll of material in sterile form comprising:

(A) a tubular roll of surgical drape material; (B) an inner tube open at its upper end completely enclosing said roll, said upper end of said inner tube being folded down within the upper end of said roll;:

and

(C) an outer tube completely enclosing said inner tube. and said rolland sealed to prevent ingress of con-.

taminating bacteria. 6. A package as recited in claim 5 in which said tubes are constituted by gas-permeable plastic sheet material.

and the entire assembled structure is subjected to ethylene oxide gas to sterilize the same.

No references cited.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner. 

5. A SEALED STERILIZED PACKAGE SUPPLYING A TUBULAR ROLL OF MATERIAL IN STERILE FORM COMPRISING: (A) A TUBULAR ROLL OF SURGICAL DRAPE MATERIAL; (B) AN INNER TUBE OPEN AT ITS UPPER END COMPLETELY ENCLOSING SAID ROLL, SAID UPPER END OF SAID INNER TUBE BEING FOLDED DOWN WITHIN THE UPPER END OF SAID ROLL; AND (C) AN OUTER TUBE COMPLETELY ENCLOSING SAID INNER TUBE AND SAID ROLL AND SEALED TO PREVENT INGRESS OF CONTAMINATING BACTERIA. 